Meiji Holdings ended sales of almost all of its glass bottled milk and coffee beverages on Monday, marking the end of a product long intertwined with Japan’s sentō, or bathhouse, culture.
Starting Tuesday, the company switched to paper cartons, pointing to declining demand, environmental concerns, and supply issues after its glass bottle supplier shut down, sparking worries about long-term availability. The move affects the brand’s four most iconic 180-milliliter bottled beverages, including Meiji Milk and Meiji Coffee.
Meiji Milk has been a staple for nearly a century, having been around since 1928. The glass-bottled version holds a special place in bathhouses, where drinking a bottle post-bath has been a ritual for generations. In fact, public bathhouses played a key role in popularizing bottled milk in Japan.
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